ASHLAND, Ore. – Craig Howard has been looking to expand the Southern Oregon University football team’s fan base since he took over as head coach last season. That drive has set the stage for the Raiders opening the 2012 season at historic Spiegelberg Stadium. SOU will take the field in the Medford Kickoff Classic against Montana-Western, in the Raiders’ first ever Frontier Conference game. Howard has several players on his roster who hit the field at Spiegelberg on Friday nights, and they are looking forward to going back to the stadium they called home.

“I feel the presence of the fans,” said Matt Retzlaff, who played for South Medford in high school. “I feel my teammates all around me. It’s just a huge build up walking into that stadium because there’s nowhere else like it.”

“It’s special,” said Daniel Scottow, a former North Medford player. “If I ever have kids, they’re going to be playing there.”

Saturday’s game against Montana-Western is one of five home contests for the Raiders this season. The rest will be played at Raider Stadium in Ashland. Kick-off is slated for 1:00 PM.